by Eric K. Thomsen
This article represents the second post in a two-part series.
Worship by the Book
Derek Thomas lists wide-ranging instances where Scripture clearly emphasizes the mandate to worship according to biblical standards: the judgment pronounced upon Cain’s deficient offering and heart (Genesis 4:3–8); the building of the tabernacle, where all preparations followed a strict, God-prescribed pattern (Exodus 25:40); the first two commandments that make clear God’s priority in worship (Exodus 20:2–6); the previously mentioned incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32); the story of Nadab and Abihu and God’s rejection of the “strange fire” they offered Him (Leviticus 10); God’s rejection of Saul’s aberrant worship (1 Samuel 15:22); and Christ’s rejection of Pharisaical worship in the “tradition of the elders” (Matthew 15:1–14). Thomas concludes with Paul’s condemnation of errant public worship at Colossae and Corinth as ethelothreskia (Colossians 2:23) or “self-made religion.”[1] In every instance, worship by any standard other than God’s was readily condemned.
The Regulative Principle: Based upon these clear, biblical denunciations, the reformers (ranging from Calvinists to Westminster Divines and from the Anabaptists to the General Baptists) developed what has come to be termed the Regulative Principle. “A general principle of obedience to Scripture is insufficient,” the Reformers insisted. “There must be (and is) a specific prescription governing how God is to be worshiped corporately.”[2] In the succinct words of Calvin, “God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his Word.”[3]
Mark Dever notes, “The Regulative Principle states that everything we do in a corporate worship gathering must be clearly warranted by Scripture. Clear warrant can either take the form of an explicit biblical command, or a good and necessary implication of a biblical text.”[4] Dever is quick to explain the difference between the Regulative Principle and the Normative Principle (promoted by Luther and later refined by Anglican Richard Hooker), which deems acceptable any worship practice not expressly forbidden by Scripture.[5]
The historical application of the Regulative Principle narrows corporate worship to five key elements, all centered upon the Word: reading the Bible (1 Timothy 4:13); preaching the Bible (2 Timothy 4:2); singing the Bible (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16); praying the Bible (Matthew 21:13); and seeing the Bible through the ordinances of the church (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38–39; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Colossians 2:11–12).[6] “In other words,” notes Kevin DeYoung, “corporate worship should be comprised of those elements we can show to be appropriate from the Bible. The Regulative principle says, ‘Let’s worship God as He wants to be worshiped.’”[7]
The importance of corporate worship: J. Ligon Duncan emphasizes the significance of the corporate nature of these biblically defined expressions: “It is important that we worship corporately, for God made us for his worship in community with other worshipers. Worship is the one thing he seeks . . . a family meeting with God, it is the covenant community engaging with God, gathering with his people to seek the face of God, to glorify and enjoy him, to hear his word, to revel in the glory of union and communion with him, and to respond to his word.”[8]
Jonathan Leeman writes: “Christians sing together because it helps us to see that our hearts’ praises, confessions, and resolutions are shared. We’re not alone. Singing in church, I believe is about listening as much as it is about singing. So, Paul commands us to ‘Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.’”[9]
Worship for All of Life
How do these mandates to worship God biblically and corporately correlate with the previously stated definition of worship as acknowledging God’s lordship and responding appropriately? It is from Scripture that the worshiper derives an accurate view of God, to which he or she must then respond in every area of life.
Numerous authors have made this basic point and help us think accurately about it. John Frame notes, “The Regulative Principle is not limited to worship services. It is God’s regulative principle for all areas of human life. . . . Indeed, says Paul, ‘whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31). How do we find out how to glorify God in all of life? The same way we find out how to glorify God in worship: we consult His Word.”[10] Similarly, Carson observes, “The New Testament emphasis is that the people of God should worship him in their individual lives and in their family lives and then, when they come together, worship him corporately.” He continues, “In other words, worship becomes the category under which we order everything in our lives.”[11]
Again, hymn writer Keith Getty echoes these thoughts in a recent interview with Facts & Trends magazine. “The way to help Christians flourish in the 21st century is to build deep believers . . . and God’s people have always learned their faith through the preaching and singing of the Word.”[12] Similarly, “Our greatest act of worship is submission to God’s will and Word,” writes pastor and musician Randy Sawyer. “I see the preaching of the Word, not as disconnected or separated from worship, but as the core of what we do in worship. I do not see the music as preliminary and preaching as primary or the opposite. The music ministry and the preaching ministry are not in competition, but converge to lead our hearts to a deepening intimacy with God.”[13]
John MacArthur notes that a lifestyle of biblical worship, which acknowledges God’s lordship and responds appropriately, will be reflected in three wide-ranging dimensions:[14]
1. The outward dimension portrays the believer’s relationships to others as an act of worship. “It is possible to express worship by sharing love with fellow believers, sharing the gospel with unbelievers, and meeting the needs of people on a very physical level,” he notes, adding, “A single word sums it up: acceptable worship is giving.”[15]
2. The inward dimension defines spiritual disciplines, good works, and acts of “godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2) as acts of worship.
3. The upward dimension offers words and songs and acts of praise and thanksgiving to God. “Just as the Scriptures from cover to cover center on the subject of worship,” MacArthur concludes, “so should the believer dedicate himself to the activity of worship, consumed with a desire to use every moment of his life to devote himself to doing good, sharing, and praising God. . . . We are to honor and adore God in everything (Romans 12:1–2).”[16]
Implications for the Church
Three implications for the church can be derived from this brief exploration of biblical worship:
1. Make Scripture central.
If worship begins with an accurate view of God, congregants must have every opportunity to come face-to-face with Him in every aspect of church life through reading, preaching, singing, praying,and seeing the Bible. Jonathan Leeman describes what happens when a congregation is exposed regularly to the life-changing power of the Word: “The Spirit begins to work upon people’s hearts, causing them to believe the words and give a proper weight to them. The people then repeat the words in their songs and prayers . . . and their lives begin to be shaped by the words, so that they begin to live differently at work and at home. They discover these words are life-giving, hope-giving, and love-producing.”[17]
Leeman warns that, while the emphasis on the Word starts in the pulpit, it cannot stop there but must permeate the church. He continues, “Picture it this way. The evangelist or the preacher opens his mouth and utters a word, God’s Word. But the Word doesn’t sound just once. It echoes or reverberates. It reverberates through the music and prayers. It reverberates through the conversations between elders and members, members and guests, older Christians and younger ones. God’s words bounce around the life of the church.”[18]
2. Emphasize focus over form.
In a self-centered, self-serving culture, pastors and church leaders might be tempted to put the “felt” needs of the congregation first: preferred musical styles, the latest technology, stunning visual graphics, lights and smoke, and so on. Yet those leaders must remember that, ultimately, corporate worship is not about what the congregation likes or receives (although the benefits are numerous) but what the worshipers give back to God, their appropriate response to His lordship.
Randy Sawyer admonishes, “True worship is found not in its form but in its focus. . . . True worship, above all else, recognizes the centrality of God. This would of necessity eliminate the consumer-oriented, needs-based philosophy. Worship is to be God-centered, not man-centered.”[19] Kevin Hester echoes these thoughts: “Worship is about God and what I bring to Him. Worship must be God-centered. Worship is never about me. Worship is not about how I feel or what I get out of the service, but how I honor God in the service.”[20]
3. Promote whole-life worship.
As noted in the opening lines, many (and perhaps most) Christians limit worship to the fifteen minutes prior to the sermon. Carson addresses this misconception: “It is folly to think that only part of the ‘service’ is worship — everything but the sermon, perhaps, or only the singing. The notion of a ‘worship leader’ who leads the ‘worship’ part of the service before the sermon (which, then, is no part of worship) is so bizarre, from a New Testament perspective, as to be embarrassing.”[21]
In light of this misconstruction, pastors and church leaders must seek deliberately to educate congregations on the “whole life” nature of worship and give the congregation opportunities to respond in the inward, outward, and upward dimensions, living out worship not only at church but also at home, at work, at school, and in leisure activities.
It is vital to remember worship is tied closely to the gospel itself—God’s call to redemption and humanity’s response. The surrender of self to the redemptive will of God is the first act of worship, the appropriate response to God’s call. The initial act of worship results in a lifetime of daily acknowledging God’s lordship and responding appropriately—the ongoing transformation of a life surrendered to Him. In Romans 12:1–2, the Apostle Paul made it clear “the only adequate response to what God has done and the starting point for acceptable spiritual worship is to present oneself a living sacrifice.”[22]
A Simple Conclusion
What then is worship? Worship is a lifetime spent acknowledging the lordship of God and responding appropriately. And what is that appropriate response? Dedicating oneself to the pursuit of God’s will through spiritual disciplines that bring us into a deeper understanding of and likeness to the Savior, participating in biblically centered corporate worship, and displaying a life marked by the overflow of the work of the Holy Spirit through these activities.
About the Author: Eric K. Thomsen has enjoyed more than three decades in Christian publishing. He currently serves as the managing editor of ONE Magazine and additionally leads music at Bethel Free Will Baptist Church near Ashland City, Tennessee, where he and his wife Jennifer also work with college and young career students.
[1] Derek Thomas, “The Regulative Principle of Worship,” Ligonier, Tabletalk, July 1, 2010, http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/regulative-principle-worship/, accessed December 23, 2016.
[2] Thomas, “The Regulative Principle of Worship.”
[3] The Selected Works of John Calvin: Tracts and Letters, Vol. 1 (1844; repr., Grand Rapids: Baker Book, 1983).
[4] Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005), 77.
[5] Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 77–78.
[6] Westminster Confession of Faith, 21:5: It should be noted the Confession adds oaths, vows, solemn fasts, and thanksgivings to this list.
[7] Kevin DeYoung, “The Freedom of the Regulative Principle,” The Gospel Coalition, February 14, 2012, https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/2012/02/14/the-freedom-of-the-regulative-principle/, accessed December 27, 2016.
[8] J. Ligon Duncan III, “Foundations for Biblically Directed Worship,” in Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship, ed. Philip Ryken, Graham, Derek W.H. Thomas, and J. Lion Duncan III (New Jersey: P&R, 2003).
[9] Leeman, Reverberation, 155–56.
[10] John M. Frame, “A Fresh Look at the Regulative Principle: A Broader View,” Frame-Poythress.org, http://frame-poythress.org/a-fresh-look-at-the-regulative-principle-a-broader-view/, accessed December 27, 2016.
[11] Carson, Worship by the Book, 46.
[12] Bob Smietana, “Sound Theology: Teaching Your People Through Music, An Interview With Keith Getty,” LifeWay, Facts & Trends 63, no. 1, 18–19.
[13] Randy Sawyer, “The Pastor as Worship Leader,” Contact, September 2003, http://fwbpastor.com/?p=1082, accessed January 12, 2017.
[14] MacArthur, “Worshipping,” 198–200.
[15] MacArthur, “Worshipping,” 198–99.
[16] MacArthur, “Worshipping,” 199.
[17] Leeman. Reverberation, 20.
[18] Leeman. Reverberation, 25.
[19] Randy Sawyer, “The Pastor’s Role in Worship,” Contact (October 1996), http://fwbpastor.com/?p=991, accessed January 15, 2017.
[20] Kevin Hester, “The Role of Emotions in Worship,” ONE Magazine (June-July 2010), 17.
[21] Carson, Worship by the Book, 47.
[22] MacArthur, “Worshiping,” 200.
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